The Break
by Arlanquer
Summary: It seems like the perfect holiday for the Animorphs. The Yeerks are lying low! But when Melissa Chapman organizes the Spring Dance, things get a tad bit complicated...and the Yeerks may not be lying low at all... TRM triangle and JC
1. Chapter 1

**The Break**

**Disclaimer: **No part of Animorphs is mine. All credits go to K.A Applegate

**Chapter One**

My name is Rachel.

Of course, **you** would have already heard of our situation from my friends. Heard of the situation with the Yeerks, trying to take over Earth? It **does** sound a little corny. Well, if you've heard of the Yeerks, you would have heard of the Animorphs.

The person leading our group is Jake. Jake's my cousin and a 'born-leader' material. Jake and I never really interacted beforehand. He was a mediocre basketball player and a decent student but that was about it. Now, he's a leader. A natural I have to admit. And he's the leader of a little group trying to resist a **huge** group of aliens. But no pressure on his part.

And there was Marco, the joker of the group. Marco was the type to joke when everything got too serious and was the type to get uncomfortable with silences. He's also rather arrogant but it's always an act. Marco gets me annoyed sometimes. Other times, he's a great friend and good team member. That's about all I can give him.

Then there's Cassie, my best friend. Cassie's the 'Peacemaker' of the group, animal-loving and a really empathic kind of girl. But the only setback is that she's a complete _**ditz** _when it comes to fashion. She may know how to heal an injured crocodile but she can't throw together an outfit to save her life. Well, that's my life duty: to get Cassie some decent clothes and fashion sense.

Me? I look like the average blond, ditzy, mall-rat but, really, I'm far from it. As Marco puts it, I'm Xena, the Warrior Princess. I'm usually the first one to say, 'Let's do it!' in the face of a difficult mission. According to Marco, I'm stubborn, independent and tough-headed. According to Jake, I'm a warrior. But enough about me.

And then, there is Ax. Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill is his full name. He's an Andalite, a centaur/deer/scorpion type of thing. He has two antennas with eyes at the tip and a deadly scorpion tail with blueish fur.

But I won't go into much detail describing Ax's physical features since they're bizarre enough. Ax…well, Ax is just Ax. He's knowledgeable with technology and other alien-related things and is often the information book of aliens and terms.

He's also really scary when he's in his human morph. Heck, any morph with a mouth and near food is dangerous for Ax. See, Andalites don't have mouths so Ax goes berserk when he's in human morph. Especially around cinnamon buns. And he has a tendency to act like a five-year-old in human morph. But Ax is cool enough.

And the final member of the team is Tobias. Tobias. You could say I liked Tobias. A lot. The problem? Well, most of the time, he's a red-tailed hawk. See, the thing with morphing is that you can't stay in morph for more than two hours. Tobias broke that rule so he's trapped as a hawk.

But then, the Ellimist gave him back his morphing power. And gave him his human DNA back. So Tobias can become human…he just needs to morph _**out** _of it before two hours. Or else he would lose all his morphing power. Sometimes, I wonder if he had made the right choice. If he had stayed as a human, he'd lose his place in the fight but we could-

"Rachel? You listening?"

I jumped in shock as I turned and met the brown eyes of a friend. Melissa. Melissa Chapman, daughter of the principal. Except that Mr. Chapman was a Controller. A Yeerk lived inside his head. And Melissa had been rather redundant recently.

"Uh…hi Melissa," I said cautiously.

I met her gaze, those eyes filled with the same sea blue I knew. But then, a dark, foreboding voice in my head said, 'She may be a Controller now.' See, that was the problem with Yeerks. You never knew whether the girl standing in front of you may be just your normal everyday best friend or a Controller, an evil devious slug taking over her actions and speech.

"Hi," she said in excitement and grabbed my arm, "Did you see the noticeboard at all?"

"No?" I tried feebly as she steered me towards the noticeboard, where a bunch of girls were chattering excitedly.

"Daddy put it up this morning!" Melissa exclaimed brightly, "I've been trying to convince him for _**months** _and he finally did! But I organized it!"

That didn't exactly sound good. Chapman was a Yeerk in a high-ranking position. But when I saw the notice, it seemed like no Yeerk on earth would have anything to gain from _this_.

**The Spring Dance**

_Organized and run by Melissa Chapman _

Thursday Night

6:30pm to 8:30pm

Dancing and Food and Good Fun!

_Will **you** have a date?_

I blinked.

It definitely _**looked** _and _**sounded** _like something a normal fifteen-year-old would plan to embarrass her friends with. But how could I be sure? Girls were already giggling and comparing notes about who to take.

I felt an odd jolt somewhere in my stomach as the girls began to list popular boys to consider taking.

"Well?" Melissa squealed, eyes shining, "Isn't it great? Daddy and I actually spent an entire week planning it. He was really happy! Everyone is expected to come though."

I plastered a fake smile on my face and laughed, despite myself. The very though of a Yeerk planning a Spring Dance with his host's daughter? It was almost funny. But it was the first time Melissa had been shaken from her depression ever since Chapman and his wife had become Controllers.

I wanted to be happy for her. I truly did. But the smile came out weary.

It had just been a few weeks ago that we had travelled to save the Iskoorts and Jake had destroyed the Howlers. And it had merely been a few months since Tobias's 'so-called' cousin had been Visser Three in morph.

"You going to attend?" Melissa was asking, her eyes shining, looking expectantly at me, "Rachel? Are you going to attend?"

I was so tired. There was nothing more I wanted to do than to lie on my bed and sleep for a week or two. Or go flying with Tobias. That was relaxing.

But I couldn't let Melissa down.

"Sure," I said, smiling wanly, "I wouldn't miss it."

00

"You **_what_**!" Jake yelled.

I shrugged helplessly, sitting upon the bale of hay in Cassie's barn. I truly felt like a zombie. The group was gathered in there, Ax in his normal form and Tobias perched in the rafters. Cassie was absentmindedly wrapping bandages around a cat's leg.

Marco was sprawled out amongst the hay and Jake was pacing up and down, looking distinctly harassed.

"Melissa told me I could invite other people I knew to the Dance so I said I had someone in mind," I said defensively, "And she asked me about it and I simply said his name was Ax."

"That's not the **_point_**!" Jake said angrily, "What if Melissa was a Controller? What if she told Chapman? He's **bound** to know who 'Ax' is!"

"No he's not!" I snapped back, feeling my temper rise, "How could he? He's not Visser Three!"

"We need to remain secretive!" Jake practically bellowed at me, "And you're going around telling your friend, **_whose Father is a powerful Controller_** that you're inviting someone named Ax!"

"Well fine!" I yelled backed, feeling my anger rise to a boiling point, "Tell Ax that he doesn't need to go if he doesn't want to! I didn't see the point in making such a big deal out of this!"

Getting up, I stormed out of the barn, heading toward the forest. I knew that was a foolish thing to do but it was nearly unbearable to stay in the same room with Jake when he was like that.

Rachel? A familiar voice echoed in my head from the trees.

I sighed heavily and replied, "Hi Tobias."

Look-I know you're mad at Jake and stuff but-

"Oh please, not you too Tobias," I said wearily, seeing the red-tailed hawk flutter from the trees and land on the log beside me, "Look, I couldn't think of another name for Ax at the time. Besides, we'd still call him Ax."

I know. But just try and cool down a little Rachel. You'll do no good for the team if you and Jake are at each other's throats.

"Fine," I said, feeling weary and fed up, "I'll go back."

When I went back, Jake was the first to speak. "Sorry Rachel," he said, looking at the ground, "It wasn't right of me to snap at you."

I suspected Cassie was the one who had convinced him to apologize but it felt relieving anyway. "It's okay," I replied shortly, collapsing onto a pile of hay.

"Well, we all have to go to the Dance," Marco shrugged, getting up, "Chapman made it clear to us. Any of you got any idea what to do there?"

"Have a good time?" I offered, the remembering something haunting from the poster, "Uh…we also need partners for dancing. I forgot to mention. I think we're doing some partner dancing and stuff."

The electricity in the air crackled. Jake went still. Marco looked stunned. Cassie blushed. I looked down at the ground. And I didn't see anything but the ground then. There was someone I _**wanted** _to ask. But how?

"Well…I'll see you all tomorrow," Marco said in an uncharacteristically constricted voice, "Later."

Jake nodded and left with Marco. Ax bade us farewell before turning and galloping back into the woods, tail arched high. I stayed where I was. Cassie did also since she still had the cat to work on and the animals to feed. And Tobias stayed, perched on the rafters.

I felt embarrassed beyond belief. I wanted to speak up but it was just too…personal. Even too personal for Cassie, who could read almost everyone like a book, to know of. I stared at the ground.

Awkwardness…

Luckily, Cassie broke the silence for me, reading my expression as usual, "The dance sounds like fun. With all your friends there."

"Yeah…" I agreed slowly, "Melissa will be happy to see you Cassie."

She laughed half-heartedly, tying a knot on the end of the bandage, and got up. The cat jumped off her lap and settled in the hay, preparing for a warm nap.

"Melissa barely knew me," Cassie said quietly, "Although I feel sorry for all she's been through."

Do you think she's a Controller? Tobias asked unexpectedly.

"I don't know anymore," I admitted, "I look at her and I think there's no way she could have become one of them but then I remember the odds of that happening."

"They did make a deal," Cassie pointed out.

I laughed bitterly. "When have the Yeerks ever kept a promise?"

"Aftran has," Cassie reminded me.

"Apart from the good Yeerks," I said quickly, "I meant Yeerks in Visser Three league."

None, Tobias said, voicing all of our disappointment.

"Who do you plan on taking?" Cassie asked, changing the subject to the last subject I wanted to discuss, "Apparently, Melissa wanted the girls to choose."

"She did say the boys could as well."

"Well…she _**wanted** _the girls to choose," Cassie said, continuing the pointless discussion.

"I don't know," I mumbled, horribly aware of Tobias's laser hawk vision fixed upon my back. I sighed heavily, winced, steeling myself and then asked, "Tobias? Can…can you…can you come with me to the Dance?"

Even as I said it, I knew it was hopeless. He sounded shocked enough. Cassie didn't make a sound. There was another silence.

I…I don't know… he replied. I felt disappointment take control of me. I'd really want to but…the limit and everything…I…

This was definitely harder than I had predicted.

"Never mind then," I cut through his hesitant decision, "It's okay. I understand."

I'm really sorry Rachel.

"No problem," I said, determinedly keeping my tone light and without a care that didn't exactly fool Cassie, "I'll see you tomorrow Cassie. Bye you guys."

Without waiting for an answer, I stood up and walked out, keeping the pace fast and brisk. My head was reeling and pounding and I felt disappointment bite at my conscience. I didn't show any emotion until I arrived back home. Jordan and Sarah were in the living room, a complication I didn't expect.

"Hey Rachel!" Jordan said brightly, waving from the couch, "Want to watch TV with us? We're just putting on Looney Tunes!"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Sara chimed in brightly, running to me and hugging my leg, "Come on!"

"Uhh…I'll be right down," I said, looking longingly at the stairs, "I-I need to take a shower first and finish my English homework."

"Aww…" Sara pouted, "Puh-lease?"

"You start without me," I called as I gently eased Sara's fingers off my pants and climbed the stairs to my room.

Well, I lied. I didn't take a shower. I didn't finish my English homework. I drew the blinds and curtains so no one could peek in, locked the door and buried my face in the pillow, feeling a heavy weight drop onto my heart.

_**Author's Note**_

_Hello! Yes, I know, Animorphs are ancient, ancient books but what the heck, I like them. It's been on and off for quite some time and I've finally started this! Go me! And this is focused somewhere between #30 and #35. I like the earlier books better. The later ones (From summaries) seemed to disorder and drift away from the actual stuff. _

_I thought that, in light of all the battles, the romance in Animorphs needed to be focused on a little more. No, I'm not a romance geek. I just want to focus on the development of everyone's relationships. Like the strange Tobias/Rachel thing. And I like an occasional Tobias/Rachel/Marco triangle. I know who'll win. I just like writing it. _

_Please read the note in my bio about the books. _

_Cheers and review please!  
**Arlanquer**_


	2. Chapter 2

**The Dance**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Animorphs

**Chapter Two**

My name is Cassie.

Well, it was just after Jake, Marco and Ax had left the barn that we talked. Basically, it was pointless chatter about Melissa Chapman and the Dance. I knew Rachel was steeling herself up to ask Tobias to the Dance.

Yes, I knew it. Rachel liked Tobias and vice versa. They just never really admitted it. And I knew Rachel would be nervous. What I _**didn't** _expect was Tobias's answer. I was sorting out food for the animals in the barn as Rachel asked.

"Tobias? Can…can you…can you come with me to the Dance?"

She'd finally asked him! I felt the hallelujah chorus sing in my ears. I was so happy for them! But I kept silent, privately wanting to throw my arms around Rachel and yell, "You did it!"

But everything went pop as I heard Tobias's answer.

(I…I don't know…I'd really want to but…the limit and everything…I…)

My heart sank. Was Tobias rejecting the offer? When he knew and I knew and Rachel knew that he cared about her more than he cared about himself?

Rachel had comprehended what I was still trying to digest.

"Never mind then," she said briskly but I could tell she was holding back tears, "It's okay. I understand."

(I'm really sorry Rachel.)

"No problem," Rachel said. I watched what should have been a perfectly sweet meeting turn into an awkward conversation, "I'll see you tomorrow Cassie. Bye guys."

Before I got the chance to speak, she was getting up and striding out of the barn, her golden hair swinging in the nighttime breeze. The red-tailed hawk hung his head behind me.

Turning around to face him, I stared incredulously at him.

"Why did you do that?"

(I…)

Tobias's voice was choked; even in his thought speak. He paused for a second before continuing the explanation that had ripped Rachel's hopes apart.

(I…don't deserve her. She needs someone she can enjoy herself with…forever. Whilst I have to keep rushing to demorph and then remorph every two hours just to enjoy a day with her. It's just not going to work Cassie.)

"What do you mean?" I exclaimed, "She cares about you! She doesn't mind you remorphing! And you care about her!"

Tobias shook his hawk head.

(We're practically different species now,) he continued, (she's a human! How can we be…how can Rachel and I be…**_us_**?)

"Tobias," I said softly, staring at his anguished yellow eyes, fierce by nature, but now humanly torn, "You **are** a human. Don't forget that."

He blinked, as if waking up from something.

(Thanks Cassie,) he said, spreading his wings, (But…Rachel still deserves someone better.)

I sighed as he took off into the night, my mind screaming with the unspoken protest.

_But she loves **you** Tobias!_

Rachel seemed to have forgotten the previous encounter the next day at school. Although I knew she was faking everything. Then, Melissa came running up to us. Rachel changed instantly. She laughed and talked with Melissa, as though they had just met, and avoided looking outside.

I got to know Melissa _again_ as Rachel put it. We hung together for the entire school day. Jake and Marco gave me weird looks when we passed in the halls but I shrugged helplessly. In my heart, I knew Rachel wanted this little time with Melissa as much as Melissa wanted it.

After school, Rachel dragged me along with Melissa to the mall to shop. I shook my head privately. Had this 'break' from the Yeerks changed Rachel completely? Frankly, I wasn't even sure the Yeerks were completely redundant for the time being. Knowing Visser Three, he'd probably use stuff to his advantage.

But watching Melissa and Rachel laugh, tease and wink at passing guys, it was as if the invasion never happened. As if the Yeerks were still tamely in their own planet. As if we had never been able to morph.

"Ohmigosh!" Melissa squealed for the fifth time that afternoon, "A new store opening!"

"We should go and have a look," Rachel agreed enthusiastically, "Come on Cassie!"

But when she turned away, I caught the glint of sorrow in her eyes. I was always good at reading people. And I could tell that, even though Rachel was enjoying her time with Melissa, there were more things on her mind.

The largest 'thing' being Tobias.

But I allowed her to drag me along to a new store, which was having a massive opening sale. Even I, who never paid much attention to clothes, could tell it was cheap. The dresses were very pretty and came with matching headbands.I knew everyone would wear with those dresses to the Spring Dance. It would be the latest fashion craze.

Melissa and Rachel didn't even bother trying the dress they bought on. Rachel bought a really lovely medium blue dress and was given a headband and Melissa bought a pale pink dress. They tried to convince me to buy a dress but I refused the offer. Something didn't feel right…

Rachel was like that for theweek days leading to the Dance. She hung out with Melissa and her friends and barely glanced at Jake or Marco. And she refused to come over to my house. I hoped she was recovering but, somehow, I didn't feel like she wanted to be what she was.

And I felt stung she had simply put the Animorphs aside just to hang out with Melissa. I was stung she had put Tobias aside and completely ignored him. And I was disappointed she was turning back into her old self, but shallower and more preppy than I felt comfortable around. And being with them meant I was not allowed to talk to the group either.

In the end, Jake cornered me at my locker. Rachel and Melissa had gone off to class together and I was putting away some books.

"What happened to Rachel?" Jake demanded, glaring at her retreating back, "Why is she ignoring us?"

I sighed heavily.

"Jake, she's just trying to catch up with Melissa," I said feebly.

He wasn't fooled.

"We don't even know if Melissa is a Controller or not," he hissed, alerting me to an alarming possibility, "She may be and Rachel could be infested at this moment!"

But somehow, I knew that was wrong.

"Rachel's not infested," I said quietly, "I know she isn't."

Jake scratched the back of his head. And then sighed in frustration.

"Look, Cassie, would it be okay to meet at the barn? Today at around six?" he asked.

"Sure," I said, "Do you want me to tell Rachel?"

Jake hesitated and then replied, "Yeah. Tell her. If she doesn't want to come, don't force her to. We need to discuss something."

Of course, Rachel hadn't come. She had apologized to me but said she was busy. Yeah right. When had Rachel ever been too busy for an Animorph's meeting? Jake was obviously annoyed. Marco was irritated. Tobias felt guilty. And Ax had come with disturbing news.

(I was informed the Yeerks have developed a new technology,) the Andalite began gravely, (Apparently, they are using their parasitic ability to created a strange electronic power.)

"What kind of power Ax?" Jake asked.

(Well, it is called _Egma Statoos,_) Ax said, (It is to temporarily hold someone's mind and to compel them to go to a specific place. It's not really _**controlling** _the person but it's making them want to go to a specific location. The Yeerks are probably using this to get more Controllers.)

"How does it activate?" Jake asked again, frowning.

(The _Egma Statoos_ needs an outlet to function. I believe it needs to be something the person has to have direct contact with. And it must be on the person's head so the waves will reach the person's brain,) Ax said, (However, this wave is very fragile and deadly for the Yeerks to use.)

"You mean it could destroy them?" Marco asked eagerly, "Like a virus?"

(Yes. But our best bet is to destroy the entire thing so the Yeerks can't use it. The central 'meeting ground' is a huge machine. It would be hard to hide.)

I felt a nagging in my head, as if I was forgetting something important.

"Well…we'd best be on our guard then," Jake said resignedly, "The Yeerks haven't made any distinct moves or threatened anything. We'll just be on the lookout for any disturbances. You up to it Tobias?"

(Yeah. Sure,) Tobias said but I could tell his heart was not in it.

The moment the other three left, Tobias fluttered onto the ground and hung his head.

(This is all my fault,) he said miserably.

"Tobias," I said firmly, "It's not your fault."

(It is!) he argued, (It's my fault Rachel's depressed. And it's my fault she's now avoiding us.)

"It's not," I repeated, making my tone gentle.

(See Cassie?) Tobias suddenly burst out, (See how we can't be together? How can we? I'm a hawk now and she's got her own life! She needs someone who can be there for her and I can't simply stroll into class and say 'Hello! I'm Tobias! Remember me? I used to be a human boy!')

I sighed.

This was almost as bad as fighting the Yeerks. Well…even worse. When we fight the Yeerks, at least everyone is on good terms and a team. Now…we still have Yeerks to fight and Tobias and Rachel are avoiding each other.

To the team, this was a big loss. Tobias, in his hawk form, is the eye of the group. Rachel is the one with the firepower. In short, our group minus Tobias and Rachel equals…not so good. And I was sad for them too.

"We'll have to see Tobias. We'll have to see."

**_Author's Note_**

_I know it's short but I needed to clear some things up about before. The Egma Statoos is my own creation. It's a basic form of hypnotism that is activated through an object. Guesses on what the object was and is? Heh. Okay, I apolohize for the length butChapter Three will be coming up soon. Andyes, I wrote the chapter in Cassie's POV because I needed some reflection on thissituation and not from thebiased POV of either Rachel or Tobias. And, in case you haven't noticed, Rachel, Cassie and Tobias are my three...preferrable characters. _

_Don't worry, there's more to come. Review please? The little purple button.  
Arlay_


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